Your ash trees in Colorado are susceptible to bark beetle infestations, especially when weak! These grayish-brown, stout-bodied beetles develop inside the trunk of ash trees and will cause damage to them as they chew their way out, leaving dozens, or even hundreds of tiny exit holes. The best way to treat your ash trees for a bark beetle infestation is with the use of trunk injections or bark drenches, depending on your trees' current conditions. To help keep your ash trees resilient to bark beetles, reinforce their strength and health by fertilizing them! This provides your trees with the nutrients they need to fight off bark beetles and recover from any damage with ease!

What are bark beetles, and what damage do they cause?

Small holes in an ash tree trunk in Grand Junction, CO, caused by bark beetles.

Bark beetles are small, stout-bodied beetles that are typically gray or brown. There are three different species that commonly affect ash trees in Colorado, but identifying them can be tricky since they don't leave behind a lot of evidence of activity on the tree's surface. These beetles will lay eggs and develop inside the limbs and trunk of a tree, but infestations are often secluded to weakened, individual branches. Ash bark beetles commonly contribute to crown thinning and dying limbs on an ash tree and can cause even more damage to a tree when they reach the adult stage and create dozens, if not hundreds, of round exit holes in the bark, as they chew their way out.

How should you treat bark beetle infestations?

A deep root injection treatment done on an ash tree in Grand Junction, CO, to treat bark beetles.

At the first sign of a bark beetle infestation, you should treat your ash tree to prevent the beetles from spreading and to prevent your tree from undergoing any more damage. To properly treat a bark beetle infestation, trunk injections or bark drenches are ideal. Trunk injections involve injecting an insecticide directly into the trunk of a tree, where it will then be transported throughout the rest of the tree to eliminate these pests. Bark drenches are a type of treatment that is applied directly to the bark of a tree. The tree will soak up the insecticide, eliminating any bark beetles that are present. This method is particularly effective at eliminating bark beetles that are on the outside of the tree.

Be sure to fertilize your ash trees to keep them strong, healthy, and resilient to bark beetles.

When your ash trees are strong and healthy, they're more resilient to a bark beetle infestation. Fertilizer provides your trees with the nutrients they need to stay strong and healthy, which will help them resist bark beetles. Potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus are nutrients found within fertilizer that will help keep your trees vigorous. Without fertilizer, your trees could be much weaker and therefore, more susceptible to this type of infestation.

If a bark beetle infestation does occur, a fertilized tree that's healthy and strong will recover more easily and will fight them off better.

Contact us today to schedule our ash bark beetle treatment.

If your tree is suffering from a bark beetle infestation, don't hesitate to contact us! At Mesa Turf Masters, we will apply either a bark drench treatment or a trunk injection treatment, depending on your tree's needs, so we can stop these insects from damaging your tree any further! Our ash bark beetle treatment includes a free service call and evaluation. We will also apply liquid fertilizer around the base and drip lines of your trees in the spring and fall to promote optimal tree health and strength to help fight off bark beetles. We offer this service to property owners in Grand Junction, CO, and other nearby cities, such as Fruita and Palisade. Contact us today at (970) 434-5440 to sign up.